spaf@gatech.UUCP (Gene Spafford) (07/13/84)
Well, I saw "The Last Starfighter" tonight. Capsule review:
entertaining, humorous, definitely not high art, great special effects
(they credit "Super Computer -- Cray XMP," amongst other luminaries),
some good performances, and generally poor directing. Worth $2 to $3 but
I'd skip the full price showing. Okay for most children and some
adults :-).
Now for some specifics. The movie could have used a stronger
story and some tighter direction. Too often a scene was shot to
emphasize the hokey aspects rather than just get the point across. The
lead actor (whose name escapes me at the moment) did a really nice job
in his role. He overplayed it at times, but his dazed look and
incredulous glances really made some scenes memorable. Dan O'Herlihy
(where have we seen him before?) played Grig, the alien, and did a
pretty passable job of conveying emotion -- especially considering the
lizard skin makeup. Robert Preston was marvelous in his overacting, as
usual. And the female lead didn't really get her role fleshed out
much. In fact, every time I saw her, I nearly laughed. The poor girl
looks almost exactly like Robbie Benson (in drag, of course).
The special effects are great. The computer generated/enhanced shots
were very well done and were more realistic than any I have ever seen
in a commercial film. Unfortunately, the mattes in some scenes were
not of the same high quality. Overlays, such as explosions, etc.,
sometimes didn't look quite right. Proportions were off in spots.
Character development and motivation were poor. Background was almost
non-existent. I never really got a good feel for why most of the
characters were doing the things they did. I had some idea of what was
going on because I had read the novelization, but the people with me
who hadn't read it were left with a number of questions.
Still, I enjoyed the movie. I'd go see it again rather than Indiana
Jones, for instance. I might even go see it again instead of Star Trek
III, but that depends on my mood. The Last Starfighter has some
moments of high humor, and the audience laughed and cheered through a
number of scenes. It's great entertainment. Check it out. And hold
your breath until DUNE hits the screen....
--
Off the Wall of Gene Spafford
The Clouds Project, School of ICS, Georgia Tech, Atlanta GA 30332
Phone: (404) 894-6169, (404) 894-6170 [messages]
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